Denver Only Has Enough Money to Fund Migrants for Two More Months

The city of Denver has contingency funds to sustain migrant surges for only about two more months.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, said during a town hall last week that his city is being forced to cycle migrant families in and out of shelters due to immigration surges. Following a temporary pause to avoid migrants being forced out into colder conditions, the process reportedly began on Monday, as more than 120 migrant families were told to leave their dwellings—the first group of some 800 families in total who will be forced to find new refuge within the next two weeks.

Johnston, who said that every city and county hotel room is at capacity, recently gained attention by supporting Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his border battle against the Biden administration. Johnston said he sympathized with Abbott's concerns and that he shouldn't have to shoulder the load of an entire "newcomer population."

"The city is currently in the process of drawing funds from our contingency reserves to meet the needs of the most recent surge in arrivals," said Laura Swartz, spokesperson for the Denver Department of Finance, according to local reports. "This funding is anticipated to cover costs through April. All agencies have also been asked to identify potential savings within their 2024 budgets.

"It is too early right now to say what specific savings will be until we have had the time to assess and identify options. That work is underway now and will take several weeks to a few months to complete."

Newsweek reached out to Swartz and the mayor's office via email for comment.

As of Monday, a dashboard documenting migrants within city limits showed that 38,386 migrants have been served by the city—including 3,782 currently in shelters.

Denver has spent more than $40 million offering migrants the option of either accepting a spot in a shelter or taking tickets to be transferred to another location, according to Westword. Nearly half of them take the tickets.

The financial ramifications have reportedly led Johnston and city officials to determine how to curb such costs as projections show that Denver may ultimately spend up to $180 million, or about 10 percent of the city's operating budget, this year. They are also set to receive $14.1 million from federal government reimbursements.

Denver's migrant surge is the country's biggest per capita, according to Johnston. In the coming days, he and Denver City Council will debate a potential $50 million in immigration funding, according to the Denver Gazette.

One facet of that is a $25 million cash transfer from the city's general and capital improvement funds into the Border Crisis Special Revenue Fund, expected to be voted on at a February 12 meeting.

The other item to be debated and voted on relates to a $25 million master purchase order with Quebec Hospitality (Colorado Hospitality Services) to provide hotel rooms to temporarily house migrants.